Why Naming It Matters
My struggle with how to move forward was always partly to do with not acknowledging this label.
After all, I’m a Christian.
Christians don’t get depressed, right?
But how could I give something to God that I had not even named or acknowledged? You cant give away what you dont have to give
And I don’t mean to accept it in the sense of, “Yup, this is me, and there’s nothing to be done.”
I mean acknowledging that this is where I’m at right now—but also knowing that this isn’t my portion as a Christian. This isn’t God’s end all plan for me.
The first step in breaking a pattern is being able to recognize it.
If I’m able to name it and look at it, then in my opinion, that actually brings real separation from it.
Because for as long as I refused to acknowledge it, then it’s almost like it was still a part of me.
And what happened? It showed up in different areas of my life, in my relationships, in ways I didn’t even realize.
So maybe the first step wasn’t just surrendering… maybe it was also naming what needed to be surrendered.
What was I actually surrendering?
They told me to surrender, and so I did. I was surrendering daily to Jesus— “Lord, I surrender,” I would say.
But a step further would have been actually knowing what I was trying to surrender.
How can I give Him what I didn’t even know I was holding onto?
I guess that’s where I began…
“Lord, I don’t know what to surrender, so I surrender my ignorance. I trust that You know all things, and You will bring to light what needs to be brought to light.”
The Intersection of Faith & Psychology
Psychology says: Trauma shapes the way we think, feel, and behave.
God says: We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds- Romans 12:2
But what would renewing my mind in this context actually mean?
🔹 It means identifying and changing distorted beliefs.
🔹 It means bringing unconscious patterns to light.
🔹 It means surrendering these patterns to Jesus and allowing Him to heal what I cannot fix on my own.
🔹It means change happening from the inside out; my thinking and attitude shifting to align with Gods truth
Step One in Letting Go of Depression
👉 Awareness and Acknowledgment – Before I could truly surrender, I first needed to recognize what I was actually dealing with. That meant naming my struggle, acknowledging its presence, and understanding how it had shaped my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Awareness is the foundation for change—whether it’s identifying unconscious defense mechanisms or challenging distorted thought patterns. This reminds me of Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
My journey wasn’t about just “snapping out of it”, it was a process. It was about me understanding how I got there in the first place—because the patterns I developed once protected me, but they didn’t serve me anymore.
It was time to renew my mind!!
And I invite you to join me in Part 2 for the next step of the journey.